


dwts ficlets

by georgiehensley



Category: America's Next Top Model RPF, American (US) Radio RPF, Big Time Rush (Band), Dancing with the Stars (US) RPF, Gymnastics RPF, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Fusion, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Character Study, Deaf Character, F/M, First Kiss, Implied Relationships, Inspired by Music, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Mutual Pining, Polyamory, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2018-12-21 19:45:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11951331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/georgiehensley/pseuds/georgiehensley
Summary: 25 ficlets to celebrate the 25th season ofdancing with the stars





	1. anything you want to, do it

**Author's Note:**

> in my excitement for the upcoming season of _dwts_ (which premieres tonight!!!), i had the idea of writing some short fics for various pairings in the fandom. a lot of these might be ideas i've had for years but never got around to actually writing, and most will probably be inspired by dances. (expect a lot of AUs, obviously.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by their [wonka-themed waltz](https://youtu.be/axmTPPwLmgo)
> 
> i’ve fallen in love with the current _charlie_ broadway musical, so i’ve been listening to “pure imagination” a lot lately. this au was kind of inevitable.
> 
> also, consider their ages bumped up just a year so laurie’s 18. (if i left her as a 17 year old i know that’d make everyone uncomfortable, so yeah, she’s legal here!)

the way her face lights up upon seeing the many wonders of his factory fills val with a warmth he’s never quite felt before. it’s not a feeling of pride or humbleness at the realization of someone else viewing his creation, nor is it concern or worry at the potential criticisms he may receive. no, this is something different. it’s something that has his heart racing, his cheeks heating, his hands twitching as they grip his top hat.

when she turns to him, face beaming with joy - eyes bright and twinkly, teeth pearly white - he figures out exactly what he’s feeling.

it’s love.


	2. the sound of silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by [nyle & peta’s freestyle](https://youtu.be/UqVB638qHfI).
> 
> just a heads up - most, if not all, fics that involve pairings with peta or maks will ultimately be polyamorous bc i hate when real life partners are ignored in fics, and bc they’re just too great a pairing to split up.

sometimes the silence is too much. sometimes it grabs him, tears him apart, leaves him battered and broken and bruised. sometimes the vibrations of sound just aren’t enough. sometimes he just wants out of this muted, silent world.

but then he escapes his nightmare, waking up to strong, lithe body against his own, gently running fingers over his bare chest to calm his rapidly beating heart. there’s someone lying behind him too, gently stroking his waist, pressing soft, stubbly kisses to his shoulder.

it’s between these two where he realizes that the silence is not overbearing, that it won’t take control of him in the end. together, they can fight it.

together, they can win.


	3. come with me now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by [sadie & mark’s zombie-themed paso doble](https://youtu.be/n9Fp7nrLg1A?t=1m44s). (which is one of my all time favorite routines from the show, a comment you'll see pop up a lot in this.)
> 
> also, consider this loosely based off _warm bodies_. it’s been about two years since i read that book, so when i say “loosely”, i mean it.

when sadie returns for the park that night, after being there every night before that, she expects to meet up with the zombie she’s befriended, m. (no one knows about their little friendship, of course - it’s just a secret between her and him.)

what she doesn’t expect is to find a living, breathing man in his place.

“sadie?” he asks, taking a step towards her. she steps back.

“who are you?” she asks, fear evident in her voice.

“mark,” he responds quickly, before shaking his head. “m.”

“m is dead,” sadie says. “you’re alive.” the man -  _mark_  - tries to step towards her again.

“but i swear i’m--”

“get away from me!” sadie says, taking a few more steps back. mark sighs.

“i know you come from a family of rednecks,” he says. “i know about their fascination with duck hunting. i know you aren’t like them, you like girly things - like makeup and pretty dresses. and you still sleep with a teddy bear even though it’s childish, but it makes you feel safe at night, to protect you from the--” he cracks a smile. “monsters under your bed.” sadie sighs.

“m?” she asks, hesitating as she steps forward. she reaches out a hand, but immediately starts to take it back, before boldly reaching forward again, running a hand through mark’s dark brown curls.

“it’s really me,” he says with a smile. sadie smiles as well, pulling him into a hug.

“how?” she asks, before pulling back to look him in the eyes. “how is this possible?”

“you cared enough to show me attention and be my friend,” mark explains. “that must’ve been what brought me back to life.” sadie grins, before turning to head back in the direction of her home. she glances back at mark.

“come on!” she says, holding out a hand.

“what?”

“come back with me. now that you’re alive, i can introduce you to my family. they wouldn’t have felt comfortable with me bringing a zombie home.”

mark smiles, laughing softly as he shakes his head, before taking sadie’s hand and letting her guide him back home.


	4. we are the warriors that built this town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a dystopian au based off [james and peta’s freestyle](https://youtu.be/s0cy9WKW6nY).
> 
> as stated before, any pairings involving peta or maks will be polyamorous. i can’t remember if there were many, if any, interactions between maks and james during that season of the show, but now that i’ve created this pairing, it definitely seems like a dynamic i’d love to explore further down the road. (and also, two jews! who doesn’t love shipping hot jews together?)
> 
> (also, the lyrics i used for the title are from a different song than the one they danced to, bc there are hardly any words to that song, lol.)

a rebellion against a totalitarian government is extremely difficult. james' hands shake as he loads his bag with his weapons, wondering if his team is really strong enough to do this successfully. he believes in them, he really does, but something like this has just never been done before - or so they're led to believe, anyway.

"hey," peta says, too casually for what they're about to do. "you ready?"

"yeah," james says back, reaching for his bag, and peta catches the way his hand trembles. she sighs, placing a hand on top of his.

"we're going to be okay," she says. "i promise."

"how can you be so sure?" james asks.

"we have a secret weapon," peta says, tilting her head in the direction of where said secret weapon stands, the eldest son of their dictator, leading the revolt. for a brief moment, he glances towards the two, gaze flickering between them before skeptically glancing down at their hands. he sees the fear in james' eyes at he waits for the man to scream at him, demand he separates from his girlfriend, but instead he gives a small nod of approval, and james lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"okay," james says finally. "let's get this over with." peta grins, kissing james softly on the cheek, and he momentarily feels that sense of fear returning. but then a strong hand is on his shoulder, and he turns to meet the gaze of the dictator's son, who offers him a small, hardly noticeable smile.

"ready to go?" he asks in his thick, russian accent.

"always." peta answers for both of them, running off to join the rest of their team.

"you will be fine, james," the dictator's son says when james bends to pick up his bag again. "no one will be hurt on my watch."

"even if they've been the center of your girlfriend's attention?" james quips back when he stands straight again. the dictator's son's - maksim's - expression softens.

"yes," he says. "i've been keeping an eye on you too, you know." with that, he leaves, causing james to take a moment to realize the meaning behind his words before he rushes to catch up to his team.


	5. welcome to the new age

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no specific dance inspiration here, since it's really just a follow-up to the last ficlet.
> 
> (consider it just another side to the story, because maks being the leader's son of course means val's up there too, but, well, he's not exactly in the rebellion... or is he?)
> 
> bonus implied val/laurie bc i love them together. (again, of course, she's at least eighteen here, perhaps older since her age isn't specifically stated.

 

when the attack comes, no one sees it coming.

especially val.

what takes him by surprise even more is who he finds in the crowd of people fighting against the palace guards - _laurie_.

"shit," he mutters, running over to her, completely ignoring the fact that he's exposing his relationship. none of that matters now - all that does matter is protecting the girl he loves.

"laurie!" he calls out to her, but she completely misses it, backflipping and kicking a guard in the face, before landing a few more blows to his torso once she's upright again. it's one sharp kick to his nether regions that has him crashing to the ground, meanwhile she blows a wisp of hair out of her face that had fallen loose out of her bun.

"laurie," val says, softer this time as he catches up to her.

"val!" she replies, eyes widening when she recognizes him. "what are you doing here?"

"i live here," is his simple reply. he's quick to run up to her, touching her face, arms, shoulders - anywhere to check for injuries. "are you okay?"

"i'm fine," she says, pushing him away. "you have to get out of here. someone's gonna see and they're gonna--"

"i'll join you."

"what?"

"i'll join the rebellion. i never agreed with my father's actions, anyway. i just never had the courage to argue against him."

"oh."

"and i have to make sure you're safe."

"well, in that case," laurie says, reaching into her belt and pulling something out before tossing it to val, who catches it easily - a gun.

"come on, pretty boy," laurie says, grabbing his arm. "let's go take our country back." val grins, allowing himself to be guided by her through the crowd, and deeper into the battle.


	6. i don't know why (but i guess it's got something to do with you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another fic not based off any particular dance. artem and nikki are shaping up to be my favorite pairing this season, so i had to write a little something. couldn't leave john out of this (both bc, as i said before, it feels rude, and bc i kinda love him), so it's polyamory. 
> 
> (which is the best kind of -amory, right?)

artem has never once considered himself weak, not by any means, but squeezed between these two, and suddenly he’s feeling quite small and fragile. 

he used to think of  _himself_ as fit and strong, but that was before he met john. john, who could bench-press him with ease, who could pin a man his own size or larger to the ground in just a few short minutes. artem has some muscle, but john is practically nothing  _but_  muscle, enough to make any man standing before him feel intimidated.

and then, there’s nikki. nikki’s exactly the kind of woman who takes you by surprise, smiling sweetly or seductively before grabbing you by the neck and flipping you over, pinning you to the ground. artem sometimes thinks of the two of them as equals in a fight - but beneath her strength and firm gaze, he can’t help but surrender.

these thoughts of his lack of power compared to the other two have him sitting upright in bed one night, contemplating climbing out and going to sleep alone on the couch out in the living room. but of course, the motion causes his bed partners to stir, preventing him from making an easy exit.

“where are you going?” nikki asks, voice rough from hours of disuse, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. artem swears he can  _hear_  the pout in her voice, which only sends his heart sinking inside of his chest.

“just going to sleep in the living room.”

“why?” nikki asks, just as john lets out a sleepy whine, turning over and wrapping a thick, muscular arm around artem’s waist.

“i just want to.”

“are you intimidated by us, sweetheart?” nikki asks half-sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. artem glances back at her, unable to stop the smile that appears on his face.

“maybe.”

“don’t be,” nikki says as artem sighs, falling back against the mattress. she slides in closer, wrapping a hand around artem’s waist, just above john’s. “we’re nothing if not nice and gentle. unless you don’t want us to be.” artem snickers.

“and if i just feel like i’m weaker than you two?”

“we’ll make it so that you’re every part our equal. no more overwhelming strength around you.”

“mmm, what she said,” john mumbles, already half-asleep. artem and nikki share a soft laugh.

“thanks,” artem says.

“no problem.”

“i love you.”

john lets out a loud snore. nikki giggles.

“we love you too.”

she presses a quick, sweet kiss against artem’s cheek, before tucking her head in the crook of his shoulder, and soon the two fall back asleep.


	7. almost is never enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp. this was supposed to be a collection of fics for s25 but here we are at s27 and i'm only seven fics in.......
> 
> consider it just a random collection of short dwts fics.
> 
> also the season has not started yet (tomorrow!!!!) but i am already so here for these two as a pair so here's a fic.
> 
> inspired by the interview sharna had on bobby's radio show. someone asks if they've accidentally kissed yet so here's something along those lines.

it's just a normal body dip, nothing out of the ordinary. sharna goes back and bobby holds her - just like they did every other time before that.

she pops back up and her bright red hair flies everywhere - normal. bobby gets a little blinded by it and has to keep from recoiling as the tips of her hair briefly brush against his lips - also normal.

sharna’s nose brushing against his own--wait. when is she ever  _ that _ close to him?

he all but jumps back from her, breathing harder - he’ll blame the dancing if she asks.

“bobby, what’s wrong?” she asks instead, a more generalized question. bobby shakes his head.

“nothing,” he insists, turning and heading towards the wide of the room to grab a water bottle. he’s grateful that there are no cameras at rehearsal today - he doesn't think he could bear to watch that moment back (and broadcast to the whole country, nonetheless).

“you got scared,” sharna says, following after him, and wow, when did she suddenly gain the ability to read him like a book? he takes a swig of water as she continues, “was i too close? did my hair get in your mouth again? i’m sure hair and makeup will try and spray it so it doesn't fly around  _ as _ much--”

“it’s nothing, really,” bobby says, dropping his bottle on the floor again. “can we just get back to what we were doing?” he heads back toward the center of the room, and again, sharna follows - oh, it's good to feel like a leader, even for a few moments - but not without more commentary on the whole situation.

“bobby, come on,” she says. “we’ve been practicing that move for ages now and you never once flinched like that. what is it? you can tell me.” bobby sighs.

“yeah, you got a little too close to me that time,” he says. “our noses touched. it scared me. happy now?”

“oh, that's it?” sharna asks. “the way you jumped like that, i thought i hurt you or something.”

“no,” bobby says, biting the inside of his cheek. “that's it. we good now?”

“yeah, of course,” sharna says. “take it from the top.”

they go again. dip, back up, hair flies - and they're close again. noses don't touch, but they almost do. bobby doesn't back away, neither does sharna. they're breathing heavily. bobby’s gaze flickers down to sharna’s lips. when he looks back up he sees her eyes cast downward too. he starts to lean in, and she doesn't back away. they're already so close--

the sound of an old country song echoing through the room sends them leaping apart.

“shit,” bobby mutters, running across the room to grab his phone and shut the volume off.

it's silent again.

“i--” bobby starts. “sorry.”

“it’s cool,” sharna says. “again?”

“yeah.”

the moment doesn't happen again, nor does one of them bring it up. after all, they're professionals… right?


	8. go on and kiss the girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they haven't even done their little mermaid-inspired disney week dance yet and i'm already writing fic about it. i'm so gone for this ship.

bobby wants to kiss her. 

they’ve been dancing around each other - quite literally, mind you - ever since the show began, and bobby just can’t take it anymore. he’s never let anyone get so close to him before, never let anyone get inside his mind the way he has with sharna. 

she’s special. 

and this week they’re dancing to a song from a fairy tale, how ironic. sharna’s playing the princess who dreams of a better life and somehow bobby feels like the roles should be reversed. he’s certainly no privileged prince, though any moment spent with sharna makes him feel like the richest man on earth.

at one point in the dance, their faces are just inches apart, and they’re smiling for the cameras, looking all sweet and in love, and bobby thinks he actually is. he so wants to lean in and kiss her, but there are cameras and people watching and he doesn’t want such an intimate moment to be so public, so he doesn’t do it. he keeps up the act when quite literally he’s dying to try and kiss her.

the restraint is so taxing on him that he’s exhausted by the time he returns to his trailer after dress rehearsal. he’s on the verge of falling asleep when he hears soft knocking on the door.

“hey,” sharna says as she steps inside, shutting the door behind her. “you alright? you ran out of there so fast.”

“fine,” bobby says, wishing she would leave. his heart rate spikes just at the sight of her in her mickey mouse t-shirt and track pants. he shuts his eyes again, hoping she gets the hint. 

she doesn’t.

instead, he feels the couch dip as she sits down next to him. he opens his eyes to see her shaking her head.

“you’re not ‘fine’,” she says. “i know you. come on,” she pokes his leg. “what’s going on?” bobby sighs and looks at her, noticing the way she smiles at him, looking all kind and patient and curious. he  _really_  wants to kiss her.

so he does.

he can hear her inhale sharply as he presses his lips to hers, touching her face so carefully as though she might break, when in reality,  _he’s_  the fragile one. she’s so stiff against him that he pulls back just a moment later, avoiding her gaze.

“oh, bobby,” she says softly, and he can just hear the rejection in her tone.

“forget it,” he snaps, turning his head in the opposite direction. he shuts his eyes again, wishing she’d leave. 

she doesn’t.

instead, her hand reaches out, grabbing him by the collar of his t-shirt, forcing him to turn and look at her for just a moment before her lips are on his. he can’t help but instantly melt into it, hands coming to rest at her waist as he kisses her back. he feels his shoulders sag as his lips move against hers, a weight lifted off his chest as he finally,  _finally_  gets to kiss her.

he’s so happy he could smile, so he does. it makes it hard to keep kissing her, so he pulls away. she laughs at his expression, but he doesn’t care. he feels like the luckiest guy on earth. he’s so happy, he leans in to kiss her again. and again. and again. and  _again_.


End file.
